Selecting the Most Appropriate Power of Attorney Template

Using a power of attorney template is a simple method for creating legal documents that authorize an agent to take care of financial or healthcare transactions on your behalf. There are four primary kinds of POA forms that include: limited, durable, general, and medical.

Each type of power of attorney template contains specific legalese to ensure the document is legally binding. Regardless of the kind of form used, every POA includes two parties which include a Principal and Agent.

Principal refers to the individual that is creating the document. Agent refers to the person charged with carrying out transactions on the Principal's behalf. Some forms refer to agents as the Attorney-in-Fact, which essentially means the person is legally allowed to sign documents and perform tasks described in the document.

Principals can choose anyone they desire to act as their agent. While the only requirement is that agents are of legal age, it's vital to select someone that is trustworthy and dependable. The most common choices are spouses, relatives, friends, and business partners. However, agents can also be lawyers, physicians, accountants, or realtors.

Once power of attorney forms are created they have to be signed by two witnesses in front of a notary public. After witnessing signatures notaries sign the form and attach their stamp. If legal problems arise, notaries and witnesses might have to appear in court to testify.

Agents can only conduct transactions outlined in the POA. When durable or general power of attorney templates are used, agents are provided with broad powers that allow them to conduct nearly any kind of transaction the Principal would perform.

Setting up power of attorney privileges is common with estate planning methods. These forms are particularly beneficial to people that have bills to pay, or own realty, financial investments, or businesses. Arranging these documents ensures that financial matters can be taken care of in the Principal's absence.

Limited power of attorney is used when agents only need to perform a few tasks. This form is frequently used to authorize agents to pay bills using the Principal's checking account or credit cards. It's also used when a person needs to hire a mediator to negotiate with government agencies such as Social Security Disability or the Internal Revenue Service.

General and durable power of attorney grants sweeping powers that let agents take care of multiple tasks. These forms are often used by business owners to designate agents to take over business operations. They are also used by people who need someone to take care of daily activities like monitoring financial investments, handling business affairs, or selling titled property such as real estate.

Medical power of attorney is used to authorize an agent to make healthcare decisions if the Principal is declared incompetent. Agents are not allowed to make any medical decisions until the Principal's physician has filed a written declaration of incompetency.

Medical POA is also used to grant permission to caregivers to acquire emergency care for minor children. This form is required by daycare providers and nannies. Since children under 18 years of age cannot make medical decisions, this form is crucial for receiving emergency care if parents are unavailable.

The only way agents can perform transactions that necessitate legal permission is by setting the proper type of power of attorney template. Individuals can hire a lawyer to create documents or use an online legal service provider such as LegalZoom.

Utilizing a power of attorney template offers an easy solution for creating legal documents. Personal finance expert, Simon Volkov shares detailed information about the different types of POA forms, their uses, and how they lessen burdens at www.SimonVolkov.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Volkov

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Google+ Adds Community Guides for Organizations

Rob D. Young, November 26, 20110 Comments

Google is pushing to get more celebrities, politicians, nonprofits, and other organizations onto Google+ by providing "community guides." These free guides showcase successful profiles, give free advice, and link to additional community resources.

Steve Grove, head of community partnerships at Google, stated that "we want to help more organizations, politicians, artists, celebrities, athletes, media companies and nonprofits use Google+ to share and interact with each other – and with Google+ users."

Google is doing so by educating organizations on the effective use of the platform. The six core community guides (one each for celebs, media, nonprofits, politics, sports, and universities) highlight examples, tactics, and further learning resources; each has resources customized to the category.

In the nonprofit category, for instance, Google shows how the organization and its actions can be shown off via a Google+ profile, shows how the organization can "tailor [its] message with Circles," and shows how the +1 button can help promote the organization's content. Readers are then linked to a PDF guide for nonprofits, a "10 tips" article for community building, a nonprofit toolkit, and more.

It's clear that Google is reaching out to organizations across the world with the addition of these guides. Whether the guides cause a major stir, they're a telling move; Google seems to be positioning itself for a full-fledged battle with Facebook.

Google+ may not yet be a threat to Facebook, but Plus's current figures of 40 to 60 million users foreshadows a future where Google could directly compete for the top spot in the world of social networking. As such, the recent addition of pages for organizations is a huge step; it matches the Facebook Page, a crucial resource for businesses reaching into the world of social media. These community guides then seek to one-up Facebook's educational resources, making Google the more accessible option.

Are the guides effective and helpful for you? What should Google change? What else does Google need to do to win over your organization and clients? Do you think Google will ever overtake Facebook? What should Facebook be doing in response to Google's efforts? Leave your thoughts in the comments, below.

Solar power: Google pulls the plug

Solar power was at heart of Google's alternative energy efforts. But CEO Page has dropped the solar power and other energy projects to refocus Google on the Internet.

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Solar panel installation at Google's Mountain View, Calif. headquarters is seen in the 2007 file photo. Google began making investments in 2007 to drive down the price of renewable energy in 2007, with a particular focus on solar power. But this past week, the company pulled the plug on those initiatives.

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Google Inc has abandoned an ambitious project to make renewable energy cheaper than coal, the latest target of Chief Executive Larry Page's moves to focus the Internet giant on fewer efforts.

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Google said on Tuesday that it was pulling the plug on seven projects, including Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal as well as a Wikipedia-like online encyclopedia service known as Knol.

The plans, which Google announced on its corporate blog, represent the third so-called ``spring cleaning'' announcement that Google has made since Google co-founder Page took the reins in April.

RELATED: Are you saving the planet or just showing off? Take our quiz.

The changes come as Google is facing stiff competition in mobile computing and social networking from Apple Inc and Facebook, and as some investors have groused about rising spending at the world's No.1 Internet search company.

``To recap, we're in the process of shutting down a number of products which haven't had the impact we'd hoped for, integrating others as features into our broader product efforts, and ending several which have shown us a different path forward,'' wrote Google Senior Vice President of Operations Urs Holzle in the blog post.

Google said that it believed other institutions were better positioned to take its renewable energy efforts ``to the next level.''

Google began making investments and doing research into technology to drive down the price of renewable energy in 2007, with a particular focus on solar power technology.

In 2009, the company's so-called Green Energy Czar, Bill Weihl, told Reuters that he expected to demonstrate within a few years working technology that could produce renewable energy at a cheaper price than coal.

``It is even odds, more or less,'' Weihl said at the time. ``In three years, we could have multiple megawatts of plants out there.''

A Google spokesman said that Weihl had left Google earlier this month.

Apple Cup 2011: Marshall Lobbestael Makes His Final Start

It was never supposed to be like this for Marshall Lobbestael. A college career that's taken more than enough twists and turns -- even just over the course of this past season -- comes to a close on Saturday as the Washington State Cougars travel to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies in Seattle in the 2011 Apple Cup. Lobbestael will lead the Washington State offense onto the field, but his path to the starting role in the Apple Cup has been an interesting one.

As a redshirt freshman, Lobbestael showed flashes of promise, even winning the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week award against Portland State. But a serious knee injury shortly thereafter left Lobbestael sidelined, setting back his development. He was playing catch-up, unable to fully participate in offseason workouts.

Though Lobbestael began the season competing for the starting quarterback job with Kevin Lopina, both were quickly supplanted by a young and talented true freshman: Jeff Tuel. As Tuel asserted himself and brought excitement to the fanbase, it seemed like Lobbestael's days, beyond mop-up duty, were all but over in Pullman.

And then this season happened. Tuel broke his collarbone five plays into his season, giving Lobbestael an opportunity. He took advantage as the Cougars won their first two games in convincing fashion. Lobbestael provided fans a moment in a win over Colorado as he hit Marquess Wilson for a last-second, game-winning touchdown in Boulder.

Tuel returned, then was injured again, and Lobbestael was thrust back into the starting role, only to lose his job to Connor Halliday, a redshirt freshman with a big arm. The rollercoaster continued after Halliday helped the Cougars to a win over Arizona State, only to suffer a lacerated liver in a loss to Utah this past weekend. And once again the Cougars turn to Lobbestael.

It's kind of fitting the fifth-year senior from Oak Harbor will lead the Cougars on Saturday in the Apple Cup. This year has been about Lobbestael, and the unexpected nature of it all seems to fit his career path.

Huskies use defense to win Apple Cup

Key defensive stands at the right time help Washington

By Bob Condotta

Seattle Times staff reporter

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Cue-ball, great job against the 3rd string qb on a terrible team. 344 yds, 3 tds I'm... (November 26, 2011, by yeahsure) Read more

Glad things are back to somewhat normal. The Cougars tried hard, but just don't have ...(November 26, 2011, by godoggo) Read more

Yah, great defense against a "seasoned" quarterback. Incredible... (November 26, 2011, by seachicken123) Read more

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In an old rivalry played in a new venue, the Washington Huskies rediscovered their midseason form.

A winning mix of dynamic offense, a big special teams play and some timely defense — yes, defense — allowed the Huskies to take home the Apple Cup for a third consecutive year with a 38-21 victory over Washington State.

The game — the 104th between the two in-state rivals — was played in front of 64,559 at CenturyLink Field, having been moved there to allow for a three-week head start on the renovation of Husky Stadium.

UW jumped out to a 14-0 first-half lead. More impressively, through, after the Cougars tied it late in the second quarter, the Huskies scored less than two minutes later to take the lead for good.

The game was still in doubt early in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 31-21, WSU had the ball at its own 47, hoping to again make it a game. On second down, the Cougars called a gadget play, quarterback Marshall Lobbestael handing off to running back Carl Winston, who lateraled back to Lobbestael. UW wasn't fooled, however, and no one was open. Lobbestael let it fly anyway, throwing it deep to Marquess Wilson. Desmond Trufant leapt high and tipped the pass right to teammate Sean Parker, who caught it and returned it to the 31 with 10:18 left.

The play was typical of an inspired effort by the oft-maligned UW defense, which held the Cougars to 382 yards.

Washington then easily drove the length of the field, scoring on a 1-yard run by Chris Polk to take a 38-21 lead and put the game away with 5:23 to play.

UW snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 7-5 overall, and finish Pac-12 play at 5-4. The Huskies will now wait to see who they will play in a bowl game next month, the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 emerging as a strong possibility with the combination of UW's triumph and Stanford's victory over Notre Dame.

WSU finishes 4-8, its best record in the four-year tenure of Paul Wulff. Wulff, though, fell to 9-40 as WSU's head coach amid much speculation that he might not be back for a fifth season.

The Huskies led 21-14 at the end of another typically Apple Cup rollercoaster first half.

Washington dominated the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead, scoring on a blocked punt by Thomas Tutogi that Jesse Callier caught on the fly and ran into the end zone for a touchdown, and on a 16-yard pass from Keith Price to Kasen Williams.

The blocked punt was the first for a touchdown for UW since the 2006 Apple Cup. Chris Stevens' block and recovery in that game proved huge in an eventual 35-32 UW victory.

The Huskies drove to the WSU 18 early in the second quarter, looking for a score that might have begun to put the Cougars away. But just like last year, when the Huskies led early 14-0, UW let the Cougs back in.

Erik Folk, who missed a critical kick last week at Oregon State, was wide from 37 yards.

The Cougars responded with their best drive of the game, a 12-play, 80-yard march that ended with a 16-yard pass from Lobbestael to Jared Karstetter to make it 14-7. The score came a play after an apparent Lobbestael run for a touchdown was nullified due to a holding penalty.

Washington then went three-and-out, undone by a holding penalty, and the Cougars again drove easily down the field, a 66-yard, eight-play drive in 3:39 concluding in a 16-yard pass from Lobbestael to Marquess Wilson with 2:05 left.

A short kickoff, however, gave UW the ball at its own 39 and just enough time to be aggressive about moving down the field. After UW got a first down at the 39, Price threw to Williams in the flat. Williams, who won the state 4A high jump title last spring at six feet, 10 inches, then put that skill to great use, leaping over WSU cornerback Nolan Washington to get to the 21-yard line.

On the next play, Price rolled out and spotted Williams in between two defenders in the end zone. Williams caught the perfectly threaded pass for a 21-yard score to make it 21-14 UW at the half.

UW had 231 yards in the first half to WSU's 219.

The Huskies again threatened to blow the game open when they scored on a 22-yard pass from Price to Polk, who broke open down the sideline on a wheel route out of the backfield. The touchdown came with 5:56 to play in the third quarter and was the 29th touchdown pass this season for Price to break UW's school record, previously held by Cody Pickett (2002).

But once again, the Cougars struck quickly to continue the drama. Wilson took a short pass and ran 38 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-21 with 4:31 to play in the third.

At the beginning of UW's next series, Price called time out and pulled himself off the field as trainers apparently examined his thumb.

UW went three-and-out on the series with Nick Montana at quarterback, and when WSU got the ball back with 2:52 to play, it again had a chance to tie the game.

But for the third time in the half, the Huskies got a stop when WSU was down just a possession, forcing a three-and-out.

Price then returned and led a short drive that ended in a 46-yard field goal by Folk with 13:16 to play to put UW ahead 31-21.

After each team then punted, WSU had one last chance to make it a game. But Trufant's tip and Parker's catch sent the game Washington's way once and for al

Next up for Apple, it's iTV – the television that will respond when you shout at it

After success in the music and phone markets, company hopes to realise Steve Jobs's ambition for new hi-tech product

Comments made by Steve Jobs to his biographer have heightened speculation. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Apple is designing a television that you can shout and gesticulate at – and it will understand you.

Having revolutionised the music and mobile phone industries with its iPod and iPhone, the company is planning an "iTV" to turn couch surfing into a hi-tech experience.

The Japanese firm Sharp has been asked to begin commercial production of Apple TV screens in February, with the sets available in the second half of 2012, according to analyst Peter Misek at the American bank Jefferies.

"Other TV manufacturers have begun a scrambling search to identify what iTV will be and do," Misek claimed. "They hope to avoid the fate of other industries and manufacturers who were caught flat-footed by Apple."

An internet-connected TV offering seamless links to cloud services to download films – as well as a new level of interactivity – could threaten other manufacturers as well as taking viewers away from pay-TV giants such as BSkyB. Senior engineer Jeff Robbin, who built the iTunes service and helped to create the iPod, is reported to be overseeing the project. Speculation reached new heights when the TV project was mentioned in a biography published soon after the death of Apple's founder Steve Jobs last month.

Jobs told his biographer: "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

In October the US patent office published a filing by Apple for "real time video process control using gestures", which describes using infrared, motion and other sensors to read the user's movements. Gestures could edit video, or "throw" it from one device to another, say to transfer a film from a mobile phone to a bigger screen.

The patents mention facial recognition, to tag individuals within videos so that home videos can be grouped according to who features in them. This autumn the iPhone was updated with a highly accurate voice control application called Siri, and some observers believe it will feature on the TV sets.

What sounds like science fiction is already in use by niche products. Chinese manufacturer Hisense unveiled an internet TV last month which runs on Google's Android software and allows the viewer to issue commands with a wave of the hand.

Microsoft's Kinect, which links to the Xbox games console to TV sets, acts as a digital video recorder and reads voice and gesture commands. Users can rewind, fast forward, call up menus, or select games and channels without having to find the remote control.

Thanks to four microphones, it separates the user's voice from other noises in the room and users must say "Xbox" before speaking a command.

The venture is a risky one for Apple, whose previous foray into the world of television resulted in a rare failure. Apple TV, introduced in 2007, is a box that can store video and connect the TV to the internet or to the laptop to view photos. However, its latest model is thought to have sold no more than 2m units, compared to 40m iPads since March 2010.

Apple TV already incorporates some gesture commands, using the iPhone as a remote: users can flick it left or right or drag two fingers across its screen to fast forward or rewind, and tap to play.

Misek says the iTV could have an initial production run of 5m to 10m units, and will use liquid crystal displays. The company declined to comment.

Apple has taken over an entire Sharp factory to make its latest generations of phones and tablet computers, which will appear next year with brighter, less battery-draining screens. It is estimated to have spent $500m to $1bn buying manufacturing equipment for the plant, and retooling of a production line is believed to be under way to produce TV screens.

Technology researcher Benedict Evans at Enders Analysis was sceptical about revolutionary an iTV could be. He said that accidental gestures could disrupt viewing, adding: "It would be like sitting in Sothebys and desperately not moving so you don't accidentally make a bid for £10m."

The project will open a new front in Apple's battle with the South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung, which already makes internet-connected TV sets and has been competing against the US group to produce high-end tablet computers and smartphones. The two are locked in an international patent disputes, with some 20 court cases around the world.

Apple Cup 2011: Not much at stake for Huskies and Cougars _ except maybe jobs

When Paul Wulff returned to his alma mater at Washington State he inherited the shell of a football program, beset by poor recruiting, academic sanctions that led to scholarship reductions and a level of apathy.
Whether he’s done enough in four years to bring the Cougars closer to the level of respectability their fans demand is a polarizing debate among the crimson-and-gray faithful, and a decision that ultimately lies in the hands of Washington State athletic director Bill Moos.

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It’s with that backdrop that the Cougars enter the 104th Apple Cup on Saturday night against rival Washington at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.
Any tangible significance at stake in this version of the Apple Cup escaped a week ago when Utah pulled out a 30-27 overtime victory over the Cougars, ensuring Washington State (4-7) of another year without a trip to the postseason.
Washington (6-5) wrapped up a bowl trip a month ago, though it’s looked far from bowl-worthy while dropping its past three.
That leaves Wulff’s future as the ultimate unknown. It’s a debate Cougars’ players and coaches attempt to avoid, but can’t help hear. Moos indicated that a decision on whether Wulff will return for the final year of his five-year contract could come early next week.
“Of course you hear it, but I don’t pay attention to it,” Cougars junior safety Tyree Toomer said. “It’s something you can’t control. You just have to focus on the task at hand.”
There are arguments on both sides of the Wulff debate. He took over a program at one of its lowest points in the school’s history and while the results haven’t been evident on the field, the Cougars are undoubtedly a more talented and more competitive team than in Wulff’s first two seasons.
The Cougars have already doubled their win total from a year ago and had a pair of three-point losses to UCLA and Utah decided in the final moments.
“They play confident, they play hard, they believe in what they’re doing and that early on I think it was hard to do,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said.
“You inherit a football team that’s not all your guys, you come with a different style, a different brand, a different approach, but I think Paul has done a nice job of building that. I’m sure he’d be the first one to tell you he would like there to be more wins to show that, but when you watch the film it’s evident they’ve gotten better.”
Despite the improvement in talent, the record is hard to ignore. The Cougars are 9-39 since Wulff took over and their season will be done following Saturday’s game for the eighth straight year since beating Texas in the 2003 Holiday Bowl.
There’s also the extra pressure of the school in the midst of a football specific fundraising campaign for a new press box/luxury box complex and operations center — and wins mean dollars.
Wulff isn’t focusing on his future, rather how his young team may grow from this season.
“I don’t think like that,” Wulff said. “We have a great young football team. This Is a good young team that is getting better and better all the time.”

44 killed in attack in Turkey; 8 gunmen arrested

-- Turkish security forces on Tuesday detained eight gunmen suspected of fatally shooting 44 people, many of whom were praying, at an engagement ceremony in the rural southeast of the country.

Masked assailants with automatic weapons attacked the celebration Monday night in the village of Bilge, near the city of Mardin, in what appeared to be the result of a family feud, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said. Blood feuds occasionally happen among families in the region, where tribal ties and rivalries can eclipse the power of the state.

On Tuesday morning, four large earth-movers were seen digging graves for the victims in the village. Police allowed friends and relatives to enter Bilge, but journalists were kept out. Authorities also cut telephone communication with the village.

The dead included the engaged couple, and six other people were wounded. Two girls survived after the bodies of slain friends fell on top of them. Reports said the gunmen opened fire as men and women prayed in separate rooms in line with tradition in parts of Turkey.

Turkish media initially described the gathering as "dugun," a term for a wedding celebration. However, Atalay and media outlets later used the term "nisan," which refers to an engagement ceremony.

Atalay said eight suspects were in custody, and that some of their family names were the same as those of the victims.

"They were caught with their weapons," he said. "The first indications are that it was the result of disputes, of animosity among relatives, within a family in the village."

Citing unidentified authorities, CNN-Turk television said the attack may have occurred because one of the gunmen wanted to marry the engaged woman himself and he opposed the marriage. It said there was a family tie between the assailants and the couple who were killed.

NTV television, citing deputy Gov. Ferhat Ozen, earlier said the motive for the attack could be a feud between rival groups of pro-government village guards, who fight alongside Turkish troops against Kurdish rebels. Like many other villages in the region, Bilge has a number of guards.

Atalay had earlier said the attack had left 45 dead, but later corrected the toll to 44 dead. He said the dead included six children and 16 women.

Mehmet Besir Ayanoglu, the mayor of Mardin, told Channel 24 that he spoke to two survivors, both girls, who said at least two masked men stormed a house where the ceremony took place.

"They raided the house, we were in two rooms, they opened fire on everyone, they were wearing masks," Ayanoglu quoted the girls as saying. The girls said they lay underneath the bodies of friends until the attack was over.

Seyhmus Balik, whose house is one kilometer (half a mile) from the village, told AP Television that he heard gunshots. After a short lull, he heard another round of gunshots, leading him to believe that the gunmen were firing on the injured.

Balik said most village guards had left Bilge at the time of the attack to assist Turkish troops in an operation against Kurdish rebels in a nearby region.

The attack occurred during the engagement ceremony of the daughter of Cemil Celebi, a former village official who was among the wounded. The daughter, Sevgi Celebi, her fiance, Habib Ari, his mother and sister were all killed, as was the Islamic cleric who was presiding over the ceremony. The Anatolia news agency said the attack lasted for 15 minutes.

For years, Turkey has struggled over how to trim the 70,000-strong village guard force without releasing masses of trained fighters onto the streets of the southeast, where unemployment in some areas reaches 50 percent.

The military has purged thousands of village guards suspected of favoring Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in the southeast. Several hundred guards have also faced criminal charges.

The conflict between Kurdish guerrillas and government forces has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984.